Connecting-rod



(No Model.)

Y R. HUMBLB.

GONNECTING ROD. l No. 391,148. Patented Oct. 16,1888.

N. Finns. mwuumgnpw, wnmngmn u. c.

UNITED STATES 'ATENT FFICE.

ROBERT HUMBLE, OF sT. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

CONNECTING-ROD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,148, dated October16, 1858.

Application filed 0ctnbcr5.18f7. Serial No. 251,511. (No model.)

.To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT HUMBLE,a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Connecting-RodAttachments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the connecting-rods of locomotive-engines; andit consists in means for pivotallyjoining to each other the main andside rods of a locomotive and in the use Of a bnshing7 for such pivotalconnection, in which the crank-pin turns.

This invent-ion is an improvement on that patented to ine jointly withJohn McLeod by Letters Patent No. 366,725, and dated July 19, 1887. Saidpatent is for the construction of said rods, which are made each withone end single andthe other bifurcated, the bifurcated end of one rodembracing the single end of the next rod, where they are connected tothe crank-pin. There are also described in the specification of saidpatent sleeves rigidlysecured upon the crank-pins, by means of which allthe wear and friction is thus borne by the `sleeves and does not affectthe crank-pins themselves, so that when the sleeves are worn out theycan be readily replaced without disturbing the crank-pins.

In this invention I prefer to use rods constructed with single andbifurcated ends, as described in said patent; but I improve upon theconstruction shown in that patent by using, instead of a sleeve rigidlysecured to the crankpin, on which the rods freely turn, a bushing, inwhich the crank pin freely turns, rigidly seeured to the end of oneofthe rods connected with the crank-pin, and which also serves as abearing for the end of the next rod. By this construction I gain threematerial advantages.

First. rlhe rods are joined directly to each other, so as to bepractically continuous. The strains are thereby distributed throughouttheir united length and danger of breakage at any one point lessened,and they all can be slipped on or 0E the crank-pins without beingdisconnected from each other.

Second. By rigidly securing the bushing in one end of each rod, thestraps and brasses for that end of the rod are dispensed with, therebymaterially lessening the expense of construction.

Third. By means of the bushing, the friction between the rods and thecrank-pins in the ordinary construction, or between the rods andthesleeves of the crank-pins in the improved construction shown in saidpatent, which in them is unevenly distributed, since the rods, by theirthrust or resistance, bear upon opposite sides of the crank-pin orsleeves, is in my improvement distributed uniformly over the entiresurface of the crank-pin and the interior surface of the bushing,greatly diminishing the wear at any one point. The wear between theouter surface of the bushing and the rod turning upon it is very slight,as the motion is only that caused by the change of angle or alignmentbetween the rods. The bushing is preferably keyed or otherwise rigidlysecured in the rod, but may also be forged as an integral part of therod, and itis also preferably secured in the bifurcated end of the rod.

In the drawings forming a part of the speciiication, Figure l is a sideelevation, and Fig. 2 a plan view,of a pair of locomotive drivingwheelsfitted with my improved connectingrod, and showing also a portion of thecylinder and its guides and cross-head. Fig. 3 is a sectional detailshowing the manner of connecting the rods to each other and to thecrankpin. Figs. 4 and 7 are detached views of one end of a rod fittedwith the bushing, showing the manner in which the bushing is keyedrigidly in place. Fig. 5 shows the bushing as applied to the bifurcatedend Of a rod, and Fig. 6 as applied to the single end. Fig. 8 is asectional detail showing the bushing made as an integral part of thesingle end of a rod, and Fig. 9 as an integral part of the bifurcatedend. Fig. 10 is a sectional detail showing the bushing fitted with anadj ustable lining, and Fig. 1l is a detached end view of the adjustablebushing-lining.

In the drawings, A2 is thc main drivingwheel, and a2 its crank-pin.

A is one of the back driving-wheels, only one being shown, and a itscrank-pin.

A3, is the cylinder; A4, the guides; A, the cross-head.

A7 is the main rod,whicl1 connects the crosshead with the maindriving-wheel.

A is the side rod connecting the main driving-wheel with the adjacentback drivingwheel.

ICO

A9 is a portion of the side rod connecting the first back driving-wheelwith the second, showing that my improvement is applicable to alocomotive having any number of drivingwheels. 1

In this specification I designate the series of rods which actuate thedriving-wheels on one.

shown forged as a part of the rod,) said bushing being adapted to fitupon the crank pin and to serve as a bearing for it t0 turn in. Theother end of each member of the connectingrod is shown single and fittedwith the straps D and brasses d, which are adapted to encircle and turnupon the bushing between the forks of the rod fitted with the bushing.The bushing is preferably fitted with a lining, ,of bronze or othersuitable metal, to reduce the friction.

vIn order to compensate for the Wear of this lining and the crank-pin,the lining may be divided into longitudinal sections, as shown in Figs.10 and 11, and with its exterior surface slightly tapered, the interiorsurface of the bushing being oppositely tapered to conform to it. As theparts become worn the lining is removed, the sectional edges filed down,and the lining then replaced and forced to a sufficiently greater depthin the bushing to fit closely upon the crank-pin, and then px operlysecured in the bushing.

The crank-pin is provided with a disk, g', secured to the end by the nutg2, to hold the rods on the pin and to receive the wear, and also withthe collar l1, embedded in the hub of the driving-wheel, with its outersurface projecting slightly from the hub, so as to receive the rear oft-he rods and prevent their contact with the hub. The brasses d are madeslightly longer than the thickness of the rod, so as to project beyondits sides and separate it from the sides of the bifurcations of theother rod, thus receiving the side wear and allowing the necessary playbetween the rods.

I claim as my inventionl. A locomotive connecting-rod having its membersjoined together, each junction being made by means of a bushing rigidlysecured to one member and forming a bearing on which the other memberpartially turns.

2. The combination of the crank-pin of a locomotive driving-wheel and abushing rigidly secured to one member of the connectingrod, in whichbushing the crank-pin freely turns, and which also forms a bearing onwhich another member of the connecting-rod partially turns,substantially as described.

3. A locomotive connecting-rod whose members are pivotally joined toeach other and form a continuous whole, and which memberscan be appliedto and removed from the crankpins of the driving-wheels Without beingdisconnected from each other, in combination with crank-pins turningfreelyv within the pivots of the connecting-rod, substantially `asdescribed. j

4. A locomotive connecting-rod in which one member is formed at one endwith a tubular bearing within which the crank-pin freely turns, by meansof which a junction is made with another member of the connecting-rodpartially turning upon it as an external bearing, whereby the members ofthe connectingrod are joined together and but one bearing made upon thecrank-pin.

5. The combination of the crank-pin of a locomotive driving-wheel with abushing rigidly secured to the bifurcated end of one member of theconnecting-rod, in which bushing the crank-pin freely turns, and anothermember of the connecting-rod having its end embraced by the bifurcatedend fitted with said bushing and'turning freely on said` bus-hing,substantially as described.

In .testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

` ROBERT HUMBLE.

Vitnesses: j

V. A. TALAFoUs, F. A. KOCH.

